Review of Cheap Trick at Artpark Buffalo, NY

By Dave Ricci

There's nothing quite like the feeling of catching up with old friends.

And that's what it felt like when Cheap Trick took to the stage at Artpark on July 19.

Front man Robin Zander, who was decked out in a white "Dream Police"
uniform, still has some of the best pipes in the business.

His voice was as full and powerful Tuesday night as it was in the band's peak years of the 1970s and 80s.
Comprised of guitarist Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson on bass and Nielsen's son, Dax, on drums, Cheap Trick hit the mark with a crowd estimated at well over 10,000 people.

Cheap Trick remarked at least four times during the course of the night how happy they were to be in Lewiston, and wasn't just lip service as the band had a close call Sunday in Ottawa.

Cheap Trick was performing at the Ottawa Bluesfest when a torrential downpour swooped in and literally tore the stage apart as rivets could be heard popping out of place as the stage began to collapse.
Though none of the band members were among the three people that were reported injured, they did comment that some of their "A" equipment was damaged. An understatement to be sure.

In reality all of Cheap Trick's equipment was either crushed or soaked through and they had to work overtime to find replacement equipment before coming to Western New York.

Though you never would have known anything was out of place as everything sounded close to perfect.
There was balance as no one instrument overpowered the other and vocals were clean and crisp throughout.
Playing a wide variety of selections from their 35-year body of work, the songs that obviously got the best response from fans were the classics such as "I Want You To Want Me," "The Flame," and "Surrender."

Cheap Trick also did a bit of a tease as they saved "Dream Police" for their encore.

Once again, it was like visiting with old friends. Cheap Trick still has a passion for what they do which is what made the show so enjoyable.

Cheap Trick's impact on pop culture was also brought to light as the introduction included sound bytes from various TV shows and movies that referenced Cheap Trick. Most notably a classic moment from The Simpsons' when Bart asked Homer, "Haven't you ever heard yourself on tape?" And Homer casually stated "I prefer to listen to Cheap Trick."

There's no doubt it, Cheap Trick has made their mark.